Scania finalists named

Twelve truck drivers and another twelve bus drivers are set to compete in the biennial Scania Driver Challenge. On October 1 the truckies will do battle at the Gold Coast Race Course for the honour of being named champion and carrying off the $10,000 prize. Hopefully, some publicity will be generated by this wholly positive event, counteracting some the negative stories which have been in the media in the past month.

The bus drivers will have been through the same process the day before and prize winners will receive their awards at the Scania-sponsored dinner at the Australasia Bus & Coach Conference and Expo, held on that evening.

To reach this point in the competition the drivers have come through two rounds of knowledge-based questions online and over the phone. Now, their skills are going to be put to the test with a series of tasks to complete. These will include driving and manoeuvring skills tests, both on site and out on the road, as well as undertake another skills-based theory test and mock media interview.

“Scania has been a consistent force promoting the professionalism of Australian drivers, having run this competition several times in the past,” said Ron Szulc, Brand and Communications Manager for Scania Australia. “The Scania Driver Competition in Australia is one of more than 40 similar Scania-run competitions held around the world this year, as the company invites as many as 80,000 drivers globally to show off their skills and knowledge behind the wheel.

“Scania is proud to be a conduit to display the professionalism and knowledge of commercial drivers, helping to raise their profile within the general community, as well as to provide a platform for the best drivers to shine.

“We look forward to welcoming the finalists to the Gold Coast and expect to see some very tight competition. Among the truck contingent there are four previous finalists battling to improve their finishing positions from previous attempts, and among the bus driver contingent we once again have attracted a mix of male and female drivers, as well as one finalist returning after the 2012 event.”

The finalist are: